Castro homers in bottom of ninth as Astros beat Angels

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: “Houston struck first as the major deadline trading season got underway, as it acquired LHP Scott Kazmir from the A’s for minor leaguers Daniel Mengden (RHP) and Jacob Nottingham (C)”.

Perhaps fewer still can doubt that they have become exactly that.

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout reacts after landing on his hand as he attempted to catch a fly ball hit by Texas Rangers’ Elvis Andrus during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, July 26, 2015.

The Los Angeles Angels were unable to overcome a tough start by C.J. Wilson on Tuesday night against the Houston Astros. Castro, who has struggled mightily this season at the plate, put that behind him in the bottom of the ninth. Jed Lowrie walked with one out, and after Colby Rasmus flied out Marwin González singled to center, setting up a two on, two out situation for Castro. Castro then hit a three-run walk off home run to right field, as the Astros beat the Angels 3-0, to sweep the series. In some big spots, we got some guys out and you could really hear and feel the intensity in there. Kazmir, who grew up in suburban Houston, threw seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over Kansas City in his first game with the Astros on Friday.

Shoemaker worked seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits – all singles – and one walk while recording seven strikeouts. Houston 2B Jose Altuve on Wednesday extended his hitting streak at Minute Maid Park to a team-record 18 games (29-for-68), breaking the old mark of 17 set by Jeff Bagwell (2000), Ty Wigginton (2008) and Hunter Pence (2010).2.

Boston’s Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz each had three hits as the Red Sox won 8-2 and ended a run of seven successive wins for the Chicago White Sox. In the three game series the Yankees managed to hold the Orioles to just eight total runs not allowing more than three runs in any given game.

In St. Louis, Matt Carpenter hit a pair of home runs and Greg Garcia’s bases-loaded walk capped a three-run rally in the ninth as the Cardinals beat Colorado.

CINCINNATI (AP) – Brandon Phillips hit a pair of three-run homers and drove in a career-high seven runs, powering the Reds to a victory that kept Pittsburgh winless in Cincinnati this season. Santiago is 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his last six starts.

In Philadelphia, Domonic Brown homered and Aaron Harang snapped his losing streak at eight starts.

“To bring a player like Carlos Gomez into our organization in the prime of his career to complement a lot of great players we have now means we”™re serious about doing some damage this year and in the years to come,” Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow said.

San Diego star tight end Antonio Gates says he’s not sure how a banned substance got into his body, although he believes it could have been while he was cleansing his system in the offseason. Despite this, he went on to hit a grand slam later in that very same recreation. Detroit finished with 16 hits, including three apiece by Cespedes, Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias.